


The Spark

by redblonde7 (dragons_and_angels)



Series: Spades Verse [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Cardverse, M/M, Spades Kingdom, Sweethearts Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-09
Updated: 2013-03-09
Packaged: 2017-12-04 18:24:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/713681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragons_and_angels/pseuds/redblonde7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Queen's mark appeared on Arthur at the same time as the King's coronation so he had to be presented to the King of Spades for a potential marriage. The fact that Arthur wanted to choose his own fate was unimportant in the matter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Spark

**Author's Note:**

> Done for the 'Always Beside You' prompt for Sweethearts week.

"I do not see the reason for it," Arthur replied stubbornly and Bryn gave him an unimpressed look. With Patrick and Angus gone, it was up to Bryn to be the head of the Kirkland family. The only problem was the fact that Bryn and Arthur, despite being close in age, had never got along and Arthur definitely did not appreciate being bossed around be him. "There will be other chances to impress the King without selling me to him."

 

"We are part of the Queen's bloodline, one of the few families in the Kingdom that is considered for the role. The King has been in power for nearly two years now and he needs a Queen. It is your destiny, Arthur, otherwise that mark would not have appeared on your chest," Bryn replied, his dark green eyes narrowed in irritation. Arthur scowled, his hand rising unconsciously to rub at the spot right above his heart where a Spade-shaped bruise had appeared when the new King had been crowned. Arthur had kept it secret when it first appeared, knowing what it meant, but Bryn soon found out and started making plans.

 

"I like to make my own fate, not follow someone else's." Arthur continued to argue, not wanting to simply give in but knowing, on some level that it was futile.

 

"Then you should have married James Holloway when he asked you. The mark would have never appeared because you cannot marry another man while married, even if the other man is the King." Bryn turned away satisfied that he had won the argument. Arthur gritted his teeth and restrained himself from hitting his brother. With Patrick married with a family of his own and Angus away on a shipping voyage, Bryn was the only member of his family left. He would regret it later if he killed him.

 

"So, I go and meet the King, flash him, we're married and everyone in the family benefits apart from me who is married to a stranger for the rest of my life." Arthur folded his arms and then quickly unfolded them again. The formal clothes were uncomfortable enough without movement.

 

"It's so good that you've decided not to embarrass the family," Bryn replied sarcastically. "Stop acting as if this is the worst possible thing that can happen to you. You'll never be homeless or hungry again, so shut up."

 

Chastened, Arthur stopped talking and the two of them sat in silence in the little side room that they had been led to when they first arrived in the palace.

 

It was not the way he would have planned to spend the last few moments with his family as a free man but he was a fool to expect anything more. He had never got on with his brothers, save for the magical boy who appeared from nowhere and called himself Arthur's brother. It was useless to expect it to change now.

 

"Mr Kirkland?" Both Bryn and Arthur stood and turned to face the man that had appeared in the room without a sound. The blue hat with the gold spade emblem immediately identified him as the Jack. The uniform of the Jack was familiar even if the face underneath it was not.

 

Both Bryn and Arthur bowed and the Jack returned the bow before looking between the two of them. "Which of you two has the Queen's mark?" Bryn turned to Arthur and Arthur stepped forward. "Your brother will have to remain here for the duration while we run through some procedures to make sure of your suitability as Queen."

 

"Procedures?" Arthur asked, alarmed at the sound of that. He was not expecting anything more past showing the mark and meeting the King. He was already nervous enough but the thought of procedures to test him being Queen, before actually being Queen, was enough to terrify him. He never wanted to run straight in the opposite direction so much before this moment. The Jack smiled politely but did not answer his question.

 

The Jack and Arthur left Bryn behind in the room and several twists and turns later, Arthur was shown into another small room, this one with a desk and chair right in the middle.

 

"There can be up to ten candidates with the Queen's mark and so this test is one way of narrowing down the field. After you have completed this test, depending on the result, you shall either meet the King or go home. The meeting with the King will also narrow the field. After all, if the King doesn't like you, then you will not be popular as his Queen. You have as much time as you need to complete the test. I will check in on you later."

 

Before Arthur could even process this information, let alone ask any questions he wanted to ask, he was left in the small room with an intimidating bundle of paper resting on the desk. For a moment, he was tempted not to answer any of the questions and get himself kicked out. After all, if there were nine other people with the mark, then it wasn't his destiny.

 

The thought of what Bryn and even Patrick and Angus would say if he was rejected as Queen forced him to sit down and look at the first question. _The price of wheat has risen 0.2%. What implications does this have for the economy?_

 

Arthur groaned. It looked like he was going to be rejected for Queen whether he answered the questions or not.

 

 

***

 

The Jack came back as soon as the test was finished and he looked over the answers in front of Arthur. Arthur would feel embarrassed about this but he was too drained to care.

 

"Your knowledge of magical lore is very apparent and you seem to have good ideas for the Navy," the Jack said after a few moments silence. The Jack's dark eyes looked up from the test to Arthur, giving nothing away. "However, your knowledge of science, technology and economics is lacking. These subjects fall under the King's domain but as his Queen, all his decisions will be put through you so you need to improve your mind in these subjects."

 

Arthur nodded, already dreading his economics lessons. A thought occurred to him. "Does this mean I've passed the test?"

 

For the first time the Jack smiled. It made his already unlined face looked younger and it relaxed Arthur slightly. If he did become Queen, he and the Jack would be spending a lot of time together so knowing that the Jack could smile was a relief.

 

"Yes, you have passed the test. Now you get to meet the King and that will be the real trial." The Jack gestured to Arthur and they left the room, Arthur's nerves shooting up again. The corridor seemed endless and Arthur knew that if he tried to find his way out on his own, he would become hopelessly lost. The thought of having to live in a maze like this made his head spin.

 

Not much was known about the King of Spades, even his name was not widely known and so his character was a complete mystery to Arthur. He knew that Bryn would say that it did not matter what the man himself was like, Arthur had to impress him no matter what, but Arthur was not looking forward to being married to an idiot or, even worse, a brute.

 

Arthur was torn out of his thoughts when the Jack reached a door and turned to face Arthur. "The King is waiting for you behind this door. The meeting will be short, the King will know whether or not you are his Queen very quickly." The Jack opened the door with a smile and Arthur thanked him before stepping into the room.

 

The first thing that Arthur noticed was the ornate throne right in the middle of the room, with the Spades emblem carved right where the head would rest. The next thing he noticed was that the room was completely empty.

 

"He's not here," Arthur said to the Jack through the open door. "The King's not here."

 

"What?" The Jack stepped into the room, his face surprised instead of emotionless. He searched the room with his eyes before groaning in frustration. "I will go and retrieve him. Wait here please." He disappeared out the door, leaving Arthur feeling both relieved and irritated. The relief at putting off meeting the King was obvious but the irritation at the King not even showing him the respect of being on time was warring with it.

 

Luckily, he did not have to wait to deal with his feelings for long before the Jack came back, a young, blonde man following behind him. The man had a long, blue trenchcoat on and a pocket watch in the shape of the Spades emblem was swinging from a pocket. He was handsome with short, blonde hair and bright blue eyes but Arthur was too busy feeling nervous to take in much more of that.

 

"Mr Kirkland, this is Alfred Jones, the King of Spades," the Jack said, looking more than a little annoyed. Arthur bowed to his King. "Alfred, this is Arthur Kirkland, one of the prospective Queens."

 

"It's nice to meet you, Arthur," the King said, holding out his hand. Arthur, not knowing whether this was the correct etiquette or not but not willing to disagree with the King, held out his right hand to be shook.

 

As soon as their skin touched, Arthur restrained himself from gasping, even though he knew that he must looked very surprised. It was like lightning had flowed through his body, starting from his hand that was in the handshake and flowing around his body in a second. The King looked neither confused or surprised, but kept on smiling.

 

"He's the one, Yao," he said to his Jack. "The handshake confirms it." The King let go of Arthur's hand and stepped back. Arthur told himself he did not miss the contact. The King was still smiling but it was obvious that his mind was elsewhere. "I'll see you later," he said to Arthur before disappearing out of a door behind the throne that Arthur had not noticed before.

 

"Alfred, you can't - " The Jack started but the slam of the door cut off any remaining words. He sighed and Arthur looked between the Jack and the door where the King had just left.

 

"Choosing the Queen... was not his idea," Arthur said carefully. He did not want to offend the Jack or insult the King but his impression of the King was someone who saw choosing the Queen as a duty that was forced upon him. The marriage between them, now that it was almost definite judging by the King's words, was looking bleaker and bleaker by the minute.

 

"No," the Jack admitted. "But the King always knows when he has met his Queen. You felt it too." Arthur remembered the spark he had felt at the King's touch and suddenly wished fiercely that it had never happened. "Come on, Arthur. It's time to get you cleaned up."

 

Wondering what that meant, Arthur followed the Jack away from the throne room.


End file.
